Mercedes-Benz Fall 2012 Fashion Week NYC: Sophie Theallet

The character Sophie Theallet created in her fall 2012 show at Milk Studios once lived a life of opulence as a wealthy aristocrat, but now finds herself disconnected from that fortune and refinement. “She still lives a decadent lifestyle, she’s social, she parties, she loves life, but there is something messed up about her. She’s a person of taste, very chic, but she’s lost her polish,” Theallet said of her inspiration.

How can one communicate that same message through a hairstyle? By enlisting the truly artistic abilities and thoughtful investment of talented stylist Didier Malige for Aveda. “We styled a sophisticated look with a neat center part and a low ponytail, but messed up texture in the back to keep it from being too proper, suggesting that same bygone affluence and complementing the mixed textiles of the collection,” Malige said. To get the look, the Aveda team first dampened the hair by applying Aveda Volumizing Tonic throughout. They then roughdried it, raking their fingers through hair to enhance its texture. To execute the clean center part, stylists used a fine-toothed comb to smooth hair from roots to mid-length. For added dimension and contouring, they dusted hair with Pure Abundance Hair Potion, massaging it into the roots and gently backcombing it to pump up the volume. The look was kept sleek by smoothing hair down on each side of the part while pulling it into a low ponytail. The textured effect was achieved by not being too particular about perfecting the look of strands from mid-length to ends while securing them with an elastic band at the nape. Next, they hid the elastic by wrapping it with a thin, slightly backcombed weft of hair from the ponytail and securing it with pins. Steering clear of the part, the team’s stylists “messed it up” by massaging roots at the crown, adding more Pure Abundance Hair Potion until they achieved the texture and matte finish Malige was looking for. For the finishing touch that tamed flyaways at the front and set the texture in the back, they sprayed Air Control Hair Spray over the whole head.

Tom Pecheux with M.A.C. Cosmetics was truly inspired by the young designer’s collection. “I’m in love,” Pecheux exclaimed. “With real talent like that, you want to create something beautiful, something stunning so the clothes look even more rich than they already are.” He said that the vivid color, plentiful texture and exquisite patterns of the collection could have each been given their own makeup look, but he decided on narrowing in on only one color featured in the collection. “I wanted to create a sort of punkish rock girl, with a grunginess to her, but still keep that aristocratic feel to her beauty sense,” Pecheux said. To maintain the aura of opulence, he chose to create an ombré effect from lashes to brows, with a luxurious burgundy on the lid that transitioned into charcoal and nearly black as it fanned out. He said he chose burgundy because it’s a flattering color that complements nearly everyone and makes the color of the eye, especially green, really pop. For a bit of contrast, he left the rest of the face very natural, adding only subtle contouring to the cheek and leaving the lip matte, in nude beige. Nails were also left unpainted to convey the natural side of the otherwise bourgeois character. —M.R.